Ada Wilkinson-Lee

Dr. Ada M. Wilkinson-Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona. She serves as Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) of the Arizona Prevention Research Center (AzPRC) within the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. Her research focuses on addressing Latine health disparities using community-based participatory research (CBPR), emphasizing social-ecological perspectives and mixed methods. She leads initiatives like the Pima REACH grant targeting health inequities among Native American and Latine communities, and the Hijos Project examining pandemic experiences of Latine families. Additionally, she contributes to SAMHSA’s Center for Community Health Resiliency and CDC-funded CHW programs.

Her work integrates community health workers (CHWs) into healthcare systems to improve access and equity. Dr. Wilkinson-Lee holds affiliate faculty status at the Norton School of Human Ecology and collaborates with Arizona State University’s Office of Community Health, Engagement, and Resiliency. Her research spans topics such as vaccine hesitancy, school garden impacts, and discrimination’s physiological effects on adolescents.

• Key Roles: Co-PI (AzPRC, Pima REACH, Hijos Project)
• Affiliations: Norton School of Human Ecology (affiliate), Zuckerman College of Public Health
• Focus Areas: CHW integration, pandemic response, border health, sociocultural resilience

Dr. Wilkinson-Lee’s grants include SAMHSA’s five-year CHW training program and CDC evaluations of national CHW initiatives. She emphasizes translational research to bridge community needs with clinical and policy solutions.